Spring and Winter
by WritingFictionForFun
Summary: Set after the events of the TV show, this story follows Rin's decision to leave Kaede's village and resume her travels with Lord Sesshomaru. It follows their adventures, shapes them as characters, and reveals things that were left unsaid.
1. Prologue

The air was warm this night—the first pleasant night they had seen in quite some time. Rin gazed aloft, like her lord and master usually did, and watched the dark clouds caress the crescent moon. On nights like these, she liked to sit and think about everything that had transpired since she had been brought back to life by her lord, and reflect upon how thankful she was these past eight years. Not long ago she had been staying in the village where her lord's half-brother lived, but she had chosen to follow after her master after some years, desiring to travel the land with him once more. It had been hard to leave behind Lady Kaede and the others, after growing so attached to them, but Rin knew that her place was here, with Lord Sesshomaru.

Her master was sitting against a tree not far away, staring intently at the fire as he usually did, though sometimes his eyes would travel to the sky or to her, checking to see if she was asleep. Master Jaken, the imp demon, was lying next to Ah-Un, the two-headed dragon that Rin adored and usually cared for. Master Jaken, considered Rin, had been very stubborn when she had rejoined them, but she secretly knew that he had been very pleased that she had chosen to return. He taunted and teased and yelled all that week, but became easily embarrassed when Rin smiled or thanked him for anything.

_This_ was her family. Not Lady Kaede, the kind Kagome, or Lord Sesshomaru's half-brother. She liked them, too, but they did not belong to her as these companions did. Her lord had saved her many times from death, and she would never forget that kindness. It was a kindness that no one would ever triumph in her mind. And how could she forget stubborn Master Jaken, who always helped her cook lunch and went searching for food in the forest whenever she asked? And gentle, sweet Ah-Un, who protected her on many occasions—though not just by his master's will – and carried her upon his back to countless foreign places.

No, this was Rin's family, and she would never leave them for a human village. She had decided that as the years had crept by back in Lady Kaede's village. She never wanted to be separated from Lord Sesshomaru, not even by her eventual aging death, but she couldn't prevent that when it finally came.

"Rin." Her master's voice found its way to her, calm and like cold steel—like a chill winter's wind on a beautifully bright day. That was how Rin thought of his voice—how she thought of him; cold and composed as winter, but gentle and brilliant as the harsh season's morning sun.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" she replied, straightening her back.

"It is time for sleeping, not thinking," he said, never looking upon her. She knew with his demon senses he could tell she was not sleeping. Something in her breathing or scent would usually give her away when she pretended to be sleeping. Tonight she was openly sitting up, staring at the sky, but when she chose to be defiant he could always tell.

"Yes, my lord." Rin lay down upon the ground and pulled her blanket up to her shoulders, shutting her eyes. She smiled inwardly, feeling the warm sensation of being back with her family once again, and allowed her mind to drift peacefully off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

The morning was touched with red and gold, and Rin walked happily beside Ah-Un, holding his reins and occasionally glancing off the path towards the fields beyond. When she was younger, she had so loved to pick flowers and return them back to camp, weaving bracelets and necklaces and anything she could make with the beautiful petals. After spending time with Lady Kaede, Rin had learned much more about flowers than just weaving them together. Some flowers were herbs used to heal illnesses, and some flowers could be eaten to ward off hunger. Rin was thankful for these lessons, but she knew she would always regard her silent companions as lovely charms and nothing else.

Right now, Rin had the sudden desire to run out into the fields and pick some flowers, to weave them together as she once had done for Jaken and Ah-Un, but she knew her lord would not like to stop for her silly desire and so she forgot the impulsive thought, returning her eyes to the road. Lord Sesshomaru had a destination in mind for the past few weeks now, though he had not shared it with his travelling companions. This was not unusual, and Rin was accustomed to not knowing where they were headed or for what purpose. Sometimes her lord shared his intentions with them, though most times he was as silent as the night, leading them onwards into unknown lands and adventures Rin dreamt of while she slept. Other times, Master Jaken pestered their lord until he spoke his plans—or until he hit the poor demon over the head. Rin giggled at the thought.

"What are you laughing about, silly girl?" demanded Jaken from beside her. The little toad demon had the Staff of Two Heads held firmly in his tiny hand, as usual, and the other wagged back and forth at his side, trying to keep up with the taller, longer-legged creatures. Rin pitied him in this way. She had grown so much since she was but a child, her legs extending until she was forced to buy a half dozen kimonos over the course of her stay with the priestess. Then there were the kimonos gifted to her by Lord Sesshomaru himself, which Rin had deemed only fit to wear on special occasions because they were so nice. She wore one now, at Jaken's request to not further dust up their lord's gifts, and was careful not to tear or stain it.

"Oh, nothing, Master Jaken," said Rin cheerfully, smiling down at him. "I was just remembering when I was littler and you had to yell at me to keep up. Now it seems we have switched roles!"

The little demon's face swelled with embarrassment and he huffed. "You little human wench!" he declared, smacking the end of his staff against the ground in anger. "Such insolence from your mouth! I wonder why our lord keeps you around!"

Rin giggled again and turned back to the path. Lord Sesshomaru had not looked back at their conversation, not even when he had been mentioned. He generally ignored them unless he found their banter too irritating, in which case he would simply speak their names and that would be the end of the discussion. Lately, though, their lord seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, even so far as to not notice them speaking at all. Rin wondered what he could possibly be thinking, but she did not ask. If her lord wanted to share his thoughts, he would simply share them. He was a man of few spoken words, but they were always important words, words Rin would listen intently to and follow without delay if it concerned her.

After a few hours of walking, Lord Sesshomaru stopped suddenly, turning his head to the east. He smelled the warm breeze and looked down to Rin, a still expression within his unchanging eyes.

"Rin," he said, order in his voice, "stay close beside Ah-Un."

"Yes, my lord!" she answered, knowing that her lord was about to go off on one of his many journeys.

"Jaken."

"Yes, my lord?" The little imp demon rushed forward past Rin and stood before his master.

"Jaken, you will stay with Rin today," he instructed. "Go into the forest a little and wait for me there."

Jaken's brows crunched in disappointment. "You are leaving poor Jaken behind?" he questioned. He trembled slightly when Sesshomaru's face did not change, and mumbled out, "Y-yes, m'lord!"

"I will return before nightfall, but if I tarry do not come looking for me."

"Yes, m'lord!' repeated Jaken, bowing his head.

Lord Sesshomaru then turned back to Rin, who was now standing closer to Ah-Un, as promised. "Rin, you may go to the flower fields if you desire, but if you stay for more than an hour I will not be pleased."

Rin's face lit up with excitement. Was her lord really allowing her to wander away from camp? She bowed respectfully and nodded her head. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru! Thank you!"

Her master said nothing to this. He turned slowly and leapt into the air, gliding off towards the east as he intended.

The moment he left, Jaken began huffing and snorting, wondering aloud why his master left him behind so much all the time. Rin ignored him and led Ah-Un out towards the flower patch in the distance, feeling warmth enter her heart. It had been a while since she had been surrounded by beautiful flowers, as the snow had not long since melted. Now the first life had been breathed back into the earth, trembling the grounds into awakening once more. Rin knelt down within the new flowers and inhaled their scent, remembering at once all the days she had spent rolling about in fields as a child. She would not do that now, however, as she was a young lady, but she felt contented just kneeling here, feeling the soft petals of the fresh flowers and admiring their beauty. She picked a few of them and tucked them into the sash of her kimono, wanting the smell to linger on throughout the day, and then took Ah-Un's reins again, ready to lead him to the forest area where her lord had directed them to stay.

It was darker in the woods, though with Master Jaken and Ah-Un with her, Rin felt safe. Jaken chose a nice spot beside a river, knowing well that Rin liked to catch fish for lunch, and began unpacking things from the twin-headed dragon's back. Rin gathered firewood, knowing they would need it tonight, as it was not yet warm enough to do without a fire, and then set about finding herself some food. Jaken was still busy with other things, so she wandered a short distance into the forest on her own, the camp never out of her sight, as her lord had taught her, and picked some berries and herbs to bring back. Lady Kaede had also taught her how to make soup, which Rin would attempt to do tonight if she caught some nicely sized fish.

Jaken never helped her fish, probably because he was never any good at it. Rin had also giggled at him when he had first tried, which might have been the cause of his dislike towards the task, so Rin went fishing on her own in the river, rolling up the hem of her kimono and the sleeves, as well. She felt as though she was betraying Lord Sesshomaru for fishing in the nice clothes he had given her, but she figured if she ruined anything he would go out and buy more for her, as her personal needs were important to him.

Rin was well aware that her lord cared for her—_why_ he cared she could not fathom. She was but a silly human girl and he was a powerful demon lord. Although, often she found herself pushing the thought from her mind, not caring why he cared and simply being contented that he did. She never wanted to be separated from her lord again, and asking unnecessary questions was not a good way to keep her position in the group permanent. She also was aware that her lord believed her to be better suited in a human village, with her own kind, but she hoped he would forget about that soon.

She retrieved four good fish from the river and returned to Master Jaken with them, who had prepared sticks to roast the meat with. Rin shook her head as she approached the little demon and he scoffed.

"What is it now, silly girl?"

"Silly Master Jaken," said Rin, returning his somewhat slight insult. "I am going to make soup for us today."

The toad demon's face turned from frowning to smiling and he tossed the sticks aside. "Good Rin, always with a delightful thing to say!" He beamed up at her, his words a form of apology.

Rin smiled back, accepting even though she knew he would be taunting her again later, as was his way. She pulled the small iron pot Lady Kaede had given her out of her pack and filled it with water from the stream before setting it upon the fire. Then she got to work on cleaning the fish. Animals were preferred for this kind of broth, but Jaken had not caught any and Rin was hungry now, so fish would have to do.

Later, when they had both gulped down their meals, Rin decided that the fish weren't so bad after all, and Master Jaken was most pleased with her cooking, so it had turned out to be not a wasted effort.

The sunset came swiftly, and Rin only noticed its presence when she saw the tint of red upon the treetops. With a gasp, she turned to see that her lord had not returned to the camp.

"Master Jaken," she said, a little alarmed. "Lord Sesshomaru hasn't come back to us yet!"

The demon snorted and shook his head while he cleaned up the mess caused by cooking around the fire. "Silly Rin," he mused aloud, "our lord is quite capable of handling himself wherever he goes. It is not yet dark, so stop dishonoring our lord in such a way. To think that he is not capable of being on his own!" He snorted again, still shaking his head. "Silly Rin," he repeated.

Rin hung her head and fetched her blanket out of her pack, knowing that Master Jaken was right. Lord Sesshomaru was the greatest warrior in all the lands – or so she believed. He was more fearsome than his old enemy Naraku when he desired, and certainly stronger than his half-demon brother, Inuyasha. Rin had seen them both fighting and decided very strongly than her master was the tougher of the two. He was very calculated with his fighting, very controlled and calm. Rin didn't like fighting, but she liked to watch Lord Sesshomaru glide through the air with his sword. It looked so majestic to her for some reason.

Nightfall came at last, and Rin sat anxiously upon her blanket, her eyes moving from the fire to the dark line of trees where she expected her lord to appear from at any moment now. Master Jaken didn't speak about their lord's absence, but she could tell that he was worried. It was late – much later than just 'after sunset' – and Lord Sesshomaru rarely returned late from anything unless it was dangerous.

_Oh no_, thought Rin, curling her arms around her knees. Had her lord gone off into some dangerous territory to fight an opponent? He had smelled something upon the wind before departing, which meant he had found whatever they were moving towards. Could the scent he detected be some powerful demon that could even match the strength of her lord? She shivered to think of that, and pressed her chin down upon her knees. No matter what, she must not go looking for Lord Sesshomaru. He had made it very clear to stay in the forest and close to Ah-Un. The dragon demon was indeed lying close beside her, his breath ruffling her kimono every few seconds, but still Rin did not feel right. She felt that something was wrong, and she knew Master Jaken felt it, too.

Just as she was about to suggest something that would defile her lord's wishes, Rin heard something not far from the camp. It was a crashing noise, as though some creature was ripping apart the forest inch by inch, and Ah-Un rose hastily to his feet, growling low in his two throats. Rin retreated behind the demon, heart hammering loudly in her chest. Master Jaken had also risen, bearing his Staff of Two Heads before him and towards the noise in the woods.

"Rin!" he commanded, his voice a little wobbly. "Stay behind Ah-Un and don't move an inch! Master Jaken will take care of this demon for you!" He sniffed the air, then, his face a little contorted, and widened his eyes in surprise. "How can this be? I smell Lord Sesshomaru!"

_Lord Sesshomaru!_ Rin smiled in delight. Her lord would save them from this horrid demon, whatever it turned out to be. There was no demon that the mighty Lord Sesshomaru could not defeat in battle.

"Rin, stay back!" ordered Jaken, his tiny body now trembling. Rin looked to him in surprise, wondering why the little demon was suddenly so afraid. He had just said their lord was on his way!

From through the dark trees came the demon that had been making the terrifying noises and Rin's hand flew to her mouth in utter shock. It was not some random demon that stumbled into the clearing, chest soaked in blood and claws covered in the same sticky substance, but the Lord Sesshomaru himself! And his eyes were a frightening shade of crimson, his fangs exposed and his glare harsh.

_And_, Rin thought, feeling horribly small and helpless, _he is looking straight at me_. But why should she fear her lord? He was injured, certainly, but was that all he was? She gazed into his eyes as he staggered across the clearing towards her, a feral look about his golden pupils, and she found her breath caught in her throat, unable to push it further out. He looked angry and wild enough to kill her, but surely – _surely_ – he would not kill his Rin?


	3. Chapter 2

When Lord Sesshomaru raised his hand, Rin thought for certain that he meant to kill her, and she found she could not move from her spot. It was her lord that had saved her life so many times in the past – had brought her back from Hell, even – so her life was in his hands. If he wished her life to be now over, then it would be done.

Yet his hand did not strike her as he neared, but rather went to his shoulder and ripped off the armor that protected him there. His kimono was torn back and Rin could clearly see where the blood originated. There was something long and sharp dug into his chest, very close to his heart, and it glowed faintly in the night.

He was not staggering towards Rin to kill her, but to demand her help.

She wondered for a brief second why the Great Lord Sesshomaru could possibly require the aid of a human girl such as herself, and then sprinted across the gap towards him, ready to assist him however possible.

"My lord, what can I do?" she asked.

He was so very near transforming into his true demon form, but Rin did not fear her lord, not even in that form.

"Remove it from my flesh!" he barked, snarling through his teeth.

Rin jumped at the sound of his voice, so very unlike her master's cool tone, and wrapped one hand firmly around the object that was stuck in his chest. She gave a good tug and shocked herself when she staggered backwards. The weapon had easily come out without any effort whatsoever. Then why could her lord not pull it out?

She gasped as it dissolved in her hand and she opened her fingers, allowing the sparkling grains to fall to the earth. It disappeared with the wind, fading into the distance.

At once, Lord Sesshomaru collapsed to his knees, a breath of relief escaping his lips. Rin looked back to him, both shocked and mystified by the strange turn of events. Master Jaken looked very much the same, possibly thinking why Rin had been able to pull out the weapon and how their lord could have been so injured in the first place.

Neither of them spoke.

"Rin." Lord Sesshomaru's voice returned to its quiet, composed tone. "Go to the river and fetch some water."

Rin nodded and hurried off without delay. She filled her small cup with water as directed and returned to her lord, offering it to him.

"Not to drink, Rin," he said, now looking at her. "Pour it into the hole in my chest. The filth left behind by that holy weapon must be removed."

"Y-yes, Lord Sesshomaru." Rin knelt down beside the great demon and tipped the cup towards the hole within his flesh, allowing the water to pour into the wound. Steam emerged, and a flow of white liquid ran down his body and onto his kimono, causing him to cringe. Rin used her sleeve to wipe the strange substance away, not liking how it affected her master. She drew back afterwards, resting upon her legs.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken approached the two of them, bewildered. "What happened to you, my lord? You didn't come back before nightfall, as you said, and we thought a stray demon was racing towards our camp until I caught your scent!"

Rin looked from Master Jaken and then back to Lord Sesshomaru, also curious about what happened. She doubted her lord would say anything on the matter, but she did wonder how she – a human – could remove a weapon that a demon could not.

To Rin's great surprise, her lord spoke.

"I was tracking an old enemy," he began. "I found and defeated him, and although I was aware of the monks lurking nearby, I considered them harmless." He touched his chest lightly, and his brow slightly lowered. "They were not as weak as I believed, however. My overconfidence betrayed me, and I fell prey to their holy weapons."

"My lord," whispered Jaken, leaning on his staff. "But why ask Rin to assist you?"

Lord Sesshomaru shifted his gaze to the human girl. "Rin is human, and only by the hands of a human could this particular weapon be removed."

Rin gasped in surprise. "Only _I_ could save you, my lord?" She then felt quite giddy about the idea, and perhaps a little silly.

Her lord must have thought so, too, because his brows shifted lower still. "If the blade had stayed rooted in my flesh for much longer, I believe it may have killed me."

Jaken was the one to gasp this time, and the hand holding his staff seemed to tremble. "It would have … killed you, my lord?" Tears seemed to well up in his eyes and he brushed his sleeve across his face. "Thank goodness you were here, Rin!" he cried suddenly. "You saved our lord's life!"

_I did!_ Rin thought to herself. _I saved Lord Sesshomaru's life!_

The great demon didn't seem as pleased about this as she was, though. He was frowning at the earth where he knelt, troubled. Rin knew how proud her master was, and to be saved by a human was probably not the best thought swirling around in his head at this moment. He was probably also irritated by the fact that a human had injured him, too.

"I am glad I could help Lord Sesshomaru," said Rin aloud, smiling with pleasure. "After all my lord has done for poor Rin, I am glad I could finally be of use in some way."

Lord Sesshomaru looked up from the ground and to the human girl, his frown gone for the moment. He said nothing to her kind words, but simply stared for a long while, making even Rin feel uncomfortable under his calculating gaze, and then he rose and left the clearing, pulling up his kimono as he walked.

Rin was puzzled by her lord's actions, and a little disappointed that he had not thanked her for helping him. Perhaps he truly hated humans enough to despise her now for what she had done for him. But if he was so proud as to deny help from a human, then why ask for it in the first place? Rin sighed and moved towards her blanket, ready for sleep. There was more travelling to do in the morning, more places to visit. Her master was always on the move and she had to be ready.

_At least Master Jaken was pleased with me_, she happily thought, though it didn't mask the displeasure she felt by her lord's ignorance towards her aid. She chewed at her lip while she tried to fall asleep, wondering if he would ever be appreciative about what she had done, or if he would simply forget about it and pretend it never happened at all.

It was an odd request, she considered after a while. Never had she been allowed to help her lord in such a way. If Lord Sesshomaru had wounds, Master Jaken helped him bind them. Never had he asked Rin for any help, and she had certainly never been allowed to be so close to him before. She had even cleaned his flesh!

Rin grimaced as she lifted her arm slightly. The kimono her lord had given her was stained, something she never wanted to happen. It was covered in demon's blood and whatever had oozed out of the wound. She would probably have to get rid of it now, as her lord didn't like the smell of blood lingering around their group. Other demons were attracted to it, and they would follow its scent, creating unnecessary problems for her lord.

She didn't want to be a burden, so she decided very promptly that she would discard the kimono first thing in the morning, even if Lord Sesshomaru had given it to her.


	4. Chapter 3

They were back on the road at dawn, continuing on their way. Rin chose to wear a simpler kimono this time, unable to part with another one of her finer garments if it was ruined. She sat upon Ah-Un's back and allowed him to carry her down the path, Master Jaken walking beside the dragon demon and Lord Sesshomaru traveling at the front, as usual. It was a bright morning with a warm wind, and Rin was happy to see that spring was well underway. It was her favorite season, after all, and she would enjoy it to the fullest while it lasted.

"Master Jaken?" She looked down to the toad demon. "Do you think summer will be horribly hot this year?" She enjoyed the warmth of spring, but despised the harsh heat of summer. Last season, it had been so hot that most of the crop fields they had passed were devoid of food, all damaged by the horrid temperature.

The little demon sniffed the air. "I think judging by the cool wind at this time of year, this summer will be a mild one."

Rin beamed down at him. "Oh, Master Jaken, you're so smart!"

His face flushed and he mumbled a few incoherent words as a reply.

At the front, Rin suddenly noticed that her lord had stopped. Ah-Uh halted, as well, after seeing Lord Sesshomaru was still, and his two heads turned left. Rin followed his gaze to see a group of monks traveling towards them, not far from the road. They stopped a short distance away, all very cautious looking.

"Demon!" cried the monk at the front, most likely to be the leader of the group. "You managed to elude us last night, but today you will die!"

Rin's eyes flickered to Lord Sesshomaru, whose face was devoid of any emotion. She knew that these were the monks who had placed that foul weapon in her lord's chest, and she glared at the group of holy men, hoping that they would go away.

One of them seemed to then notice her.

"Look, Master," he said to the leader of the group. "There is a human woman with those demons!"

The leader's eyes widened in surprise when he took her in. "So _that_ is how you managed to live, demon!" he said, directing his words towards Lord Sesshomaru. He then gazed to Rin, a pleading look in his eyes. "Young lady, do you realize you travel with demons? Come down from that demon's back and hurry to us before they kill you."

Rin stared at the man, bewildered by his statement. He seemed to think that she was in danger. It almost caused her to laugh.

"Rin." Lord Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder to her. "Would you like to go with these monks?" Rin gaped at her lord, wondering why he would even ask such a thing. She shook her head in denial and he turned back to the humans standing away from the road. "Rin does not want to go with you." His hand fell upon Bakusaigu, the sword crafted from his very flesh. "Leave us be or I shall kill you all."

The leader of the monks grasped his own weapon – something that looked very similar to the blade Rin pulled from her lord's chest. "The girl must be under some spell or threatened by these demons," he said, miffed by her defiance.

This angered Rin. She slid down from Ah-Un's back and stepped past Lord Sesshomaru. He looked down at her, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"I am not under any spell or threatened in any way," she said. "My lord and friends would never hurt me! Now go away like my lord has said!" She quickly added, "You'd be foolish not to, but if you ignore both warnings then I won't be sorry for what happens to you all."

She then retreated back to Ah-Un's side and took his reins, ready to walk for a while. The monks were all startled by her words, as was Jaken, who stared in shock up at her. Lord Sesshomaru let his hand fall from his sword and turned away from the monks, returning to walking. The others followed, leaving the monks behind, and they did not pursue them.

"That was very bold of you, Rin!" commented Jaken, still looking up at her.

"Thank you, Master Jaken," said Rin, smiling. She suddenly scowled. "I didn't like what they said about Lord Sesshomaru or you or Ah-Un."

Jaken snorted. "They were foolish humans indeed to try and stop Lord Sesshomaru a second time. As if he would fall for the same trick twice!"

Ahead of them, the great dog demon paused and turned his head slightly. "Jaken," he said softly, and the little toad demon froze in his tracks. "Do be quiet."

"Y-y-yes, m'lord!" squeaked Jaken, hanging his head. Rin giggled and looked down the road to see smoke in the distance. She clutched Ah-Un's reins tighter and smiled in delight. They were approaching a village! That meant she could use the money Master Jaken carried around to purchase things for their journey. Lord Sesshomaru always let her wander through a village for a little while, shopping for food, trinkets, and sometimes clothes. She hoped it was a large village this time with many shops.

"Twenty minutes," said Lord Sesshomaru, knowing what Rin was thinking about. She nodded in agreement and returned her gaze to the smoke in the distance.

The stench of so many humans always caused Lord Sesshomaru's nose to turn up. He despised going near villages, only traveling through them because of his human ward. He sometimes wondered why he even bothered, why he shouldn't just send her on her way and wait nearby for her return, though he knew if he did that any manner of things could happen.

He was always met with questioning and curious eyes whenever he passed through a human village, which was irritating to say the least, and the noises bothered him. Humans liked to prattle on about so much nonsense. Jaken also did this, and Sesshomaru wondered why he had not done away with the imp long ago, but he assumed there was something about the lesser demon's loyalty that allowed him to put up with the nuisance of a creature.

The toad demon was off with Rin now, browsing the shops along the street, arguing with the human girl about how to spend his money. Sesshomaru kept them in the corner of his eye, not listening to their chatter, and tried to ignore the other sounds about the market.

His thoughts were troubled and filled with resentment. When he saw those monks again, ignorant and pathetic as they were, he had wanted to destroy them. It was only for Rin being there that he hadn't massacred them on the spot. He rubbed his chest and frowned. It was because of Rin that he had not died. He should have shown gratitude for such a thing, but he was resilient to even believing that a human could have thwarted something he could not. The weapons the monks used … they were strange, indeed. Some holy magic had bound the blade to his chest, and if it had pierced his heart …

Crying was heard nearby, and Sesshomaru turned his attention towards the noise, unable to ignore it. A human woman was cradling a baby, and he was struck with mild surprise at the sight of her. She had some resemblance to Rin, in the shape of her face and the roundness of her eyes, and the flow of ebony hair that traveled down her back. Her human mate lingered nearby, his hand upon her shoulder, gazing down at their child in contentment.

Sesshomaru looked to Rin. The girl was indeed similar to the other woman, though the woman had a mate and a child, and Rin still seemed like a pup to him. He wondered then if they were of the same age. Was Rin now old enough to find a human mate and produce offspring? He drew this to the front of his thoughts. Years to him were nothing, but to Rin they must go by so quickly. Perhaps she had grown up, yet … as she stood there with Jaken she seemed so much like a pup. She was still bright-eyed and spirited, though perhaps that was her nature and would never change.

They joined him soon enough, Rin with two flower-shaped clips in her hands. She attempted to place them in her hair.

"Rin." The sound of his voice always snapped her attention towards him, something that pleased him. Her devotion was true, even in these years, when humans tended to be rebellious. "How old are you?"

She blinked, a little surprised by the question. "Sixteen, Lord Sesshomaru," she answered, and then she returned to her task of fitting the clips into her black hair.

Sesshomaru turned his gaze to the street and walked on through the crowd towards the other end of town, satisfied to leave the village behind. _Sixteen_, he mused. _Was the woman in the street that age, too?_ He compared the two again, still not seeing how his Rin could possibly be that grown. She was a slight human, and he thought she might always be that way, but she was much taller than she had been some years ago, and her face had lost the childish roundness it once possessed.

He placed these thoughts out of his mind for now.


	5. Chapter 4

_Today was the best of days_, Rin decided, as she admired her new hair pins. They not only resembled her favorite thing in the world, but she liked how they kept her hair out of her face while the wind rushed by. And now Lord Sesshomaru had chosen to camp near a hot spring. Rin loved hot springs. She enjoyed hot baths far more than cold ones, and with the new soap she had picked up at the market she would smell like flowers in no time at all! No more smelling like dirt for her – at least not for a while.

She set up her bed and ate before taking Ah-Un down to the hot spring, knowing that Lord Sesshomaru would be displeased if she didn't bring the two-headed dragon. He was there for her protection. She couldn't bring Jaken or her lord – oh no, that wouldn't do at all! She flushed at the thought and shook her head, feeling silly again.

The hot spring was not overly large, but Rin didn't mind. She slipped out of her clothes and waded in, bringing her soap with her. The temperature was just right – hot but not _too_ hot. She cleaned up, enjoying the scent of her new soap, and swam about for a while, letting the water run through her lathered hair. She emerged and shook her locks, running her fingers through to make sure all the bubbles were out, and then sat upon a rock that was hidden under the water.

The new moon was out tonight, darkening the sky. Though, Rin could see many stars. She liked to trace shapes out of the bright clusters, linking each point together to create someone or something in her life. Sometimes there were no stars or moon and the sky was a frightening dark expanse. Rin shivered and leaned back on the rock, tilting her gaze more upwards. She felt very safe at this moment and couldn't understand why. She should have been a little anxious, alone in the water and surrounded by darkness, but somehow she knew everything would be fine, and she smiled at the sky.

"Rin is taking her time," grunted Jaken. The toad demon shifted uneasily by the fire and laid his staff down upon his lap. "Do you think something happened to her, my lord?"

Sesshomaru ignored the lesser demon and kept his gaze skywards. He was still miffed by the events of two days ago. He should not have been hit by that monk's weapon. He should have been more alert. If he had, Rin would have never—

He frowned at the dark sky, and then a quiet smirk crossed his lips instead. In the village by the ancient well, his half-demon brother was most likely sulking about, complaining about the new moon and his human form. His pathetic brother would always be cursed by the transformations because he was not a pure-blooded demon. Sesshomaru wondered if the half-breed whelp still desired true demonic powers or if he was contented with his current pathetic form. The latter was most likely. Inuyasha had become weakened by his human interactions, settling to remain a half-breed forever.

Sesshomaru's brows lowered. Perhaps their father's weakness for mortals rubbed off on both of them, however, as he had once stated that discovering his sword's true power was not as important as Rin's life, and he had brought her back from Hell with the aid of his mother. It was like a dream now, and he often wondered if he had actually said those words. He must have, for the pain of seeing Rin dead was still lodged somewhere inside of him, and occasionally it was triggered whenever a stray demon got too close to the human girl.

"Jaken." Lord Sesshomaru rose from where he sat. "Stay here. I will check on Rin."

"Yes, my lord," said Jaken, and the dog demon registered relief in the lesser demon's voice. He snorted and left the camp, knowing that no actual harm had befallen Rin. Ah-Un was with her, and if there was a demon strong enough to defeat Ah-Un, he would have sensed it before now. Rin was simply being troublesome, which – he had to admit – was not like Rin.

The hot spring was just around the corner, through a patch of tall trees and nestled amongst some large rocks. Sesshomaru could smell the human girl from where he walked, though he detected the scent of flowers, as well, which no doubt came from the soap she purchased at the market – or perhaps she had been rolling around in them without his notice, something she often did when she was half her current height.

He had half a mind to turn back when he finally reached the hot spring. Ah-Un lifted one head in caution but allowed it to lower again at the sight of his master. Sesshomaru moved slightly past the dragon and peered out into the spring, knowing that Jaken's ridiculous worrying would soon be the cause of the lesser demon's demise.

Rin was sitting upon a rock at the center of the spring, her ebony hair spilling down across her bare back. Her gaze was upon the dark sky, completely entranced, and her pale skin captured whatever light the night possessed.

Lord Sesshomaru gazed at her for a long while, thinking back to his musings at the village. He had wondered then if Rin had grown up, and seeing her so exposed this night caused him to second-guess his thoughts of her. She was still slight, as he assumed she always would be, but she had grown into her body, having angles and curves instead of childlike flesh, and she very much resembled a woman instead of a mere girl.

Perhaps it was her disposition that had fooled him, for now he could clearly see that she was an adult in human standards, and that meant she was ready to find a mate and form a family, as most humans did.

Somewhere deep inside, Sesshomaru felt the slight sense of flesh desires, and he scowled inwardly at himself, thinking all emotions connected to that impulse were utterly gone. He did not desire human women, even a human such as Rin, whom he often separated from other mortals, for she was better than them. They were all the same in the end, though. They all died. They were all weak. Perhaps Rin was not as weak, but she would still die someday.

The thought was somewhat … unsettling, but when she vanished from the world he could return to expanding his lands and vanquishing those who threatened to take those lands away. With the human girl around he barely deemed it wise to fight demons not even worth his time, for her protection was always at the back of his mind. He knew she was his weakness, and so did some others, and although that list was small it was still a list he did not like. Weaknesses were meant to be discarded, but for some reason he could not discard her in such a way. Some days he cursed himself, and feared he would turn into his half-demon brother, lurking about humans and enjoying himself by their very presence.

He would _never_ let that happen. To dishonor himself in such a way … he would become his father.

"Ah-Un!" called Rin, turning around. At the sight of her lord standing beside the dragon demon, her eyes widened. It took her a moment to react, but she finally plunged beneath the surface of the water, allowing it to rise to her chin, and her face turned the reddest Sesshomaru had ever seen it. "L-Lord S-Sesshomaru," she stammered, her voice weak. "How-how long have you … have you been standing there?"

"Rin, get dressed and return to camp," said Sesshomaru, ignoring her question. Humans were so protective of their bodies, so concealed and squeamish at the sight of another naked mortal—or demon. "Jaken is beside himself with worry."

"Y-yes, my lord." Rin nodded and waited within the water, and Sesshomaru realized that she would not come out until he left, so he retreated back towards camp, his footfalls light in the forest.


End file.
